South Korea Police Arrest 40-Year-Old Man For Distributing Fake AI Neukgu Wolf Photo

South Korean police arrested a man for distributing an AI-generated image that misled authorities searching for Neukgu, a wolf that escaped from a zoo in Daejeon.

“- Published South Korean police have arrested a man for sharing an AI-generated image that misled authorities who were searching for a wolf that had broken out of a zoo in Daejeon city”

BBC

BBC reported that police arrested a 40-year-old unnamed man for creating and distributing a fake photo purporting to show Neukgu trotting down a road intersection, prompting an urgent relocation of the search operation.

BBC

CNA said police arrested the man on Friday (Apr 24) and that the two-year-old male wolf named Neukgu escaped from a zoo in Daejeon on Apr 8, triggering a frantic search for nine days.

CNA added that the image was fake and had been created using artificial intelligence, and that police told AFP they had arrested the man in his 40s on Thursday on charges of obstructing official duties by deception.

The BBC said the police identified the man after reviewing security camera footage and his AI programme usage records, while also noting authorities did not specify whether he intentionally sent the photo to authorities during their search or simply shared it online.

When questioned, the man said he had done it "for fun," according to local media reported by the BBC.

The Chosun-language reporting and Chosunbiz reporting both described the same core allegation: the suspect generated and disseminated manipulated “neukgu” sighting photos using AI, obstructing police and fire authorities’ search efforts.

The wolf at the center of the case, Neukgu, escaped from O-World Zoo in Daejeon on 8 April, and the search gripped South Korea for days before the animal was finally caught near an expressway last week, nine days after its escape, according to the BBC.

CNA similarly said Neukgu dug out of his enclosure in the central city of Daejeon on Apr 8 and was on the run for nine days before being recaptured.

Chosunbiz

The BBC reported that the AI-generated image circulated hours after Neukgu went missing on 8 April, prompting authorities to urgently relocate their search operation, and it said the emergency text to residents warned them of a wolf near the intersection.

Chosun-language reporting added more precise details, saying the suspect’s fabricated photos showed Neukgu wandering near the O-World intersection after the wolf escaped by digging under the zoo’s safari fence around 9:18 a.m. on the 8th.

Chosunbiz reported that when the photo was reported to search authorities that day, the Daejeon city government sent an emergency text at 1:56 p.m. saying, "A wolf went toward the O-World four-way intersection," and asked people to stay safe.

Chosun-language reporting also said the manipulated images were used verbatim in Daejeon City’s capture situation briefings and the fire authorities’ official announcements.

CNA described the operational impact as well, saying a single AI-manipulated image delayed the capture of the wolf by as many as nine days and that the prolonged deployment of police and fire personnel caused significant disruption to their primary duty of protecting the public.

Police said the arrest centered on the suspect’s creation and distribution of fabricated “neukgu” sighting images using generative AI, and multiple outlets quoted the man’s own explanation for his actions.

“SEOUL: South Korean police said on Friday (Apr 24) they had arrested a man for distributing an AI-generated image of a wolf that escaped from a zoo this month, triggering a frantic search”

CNA

CNA said the Daejeon Metropolitan police told AFP they had arrested a man in his 40s on charges of obstructing official duties by deception, specifically for "distributing fabricated wolf sighting images created using generative AI".

CNA also said the man admitted to the charges during questioning, saying he did it "just for fun."

BBC reported that when questioned by the police, the man said he had done it "for fun," and it said authorities were investigating him for disrupting government work by deception, an offence that carries up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million Korean won ($6,700; £5,000).

Chosun-language reporting described the suspect as “Mr. A,” a 40-year-old company employee, and said he posted the AI-generated manipulated photos in his company's group chat.

Chosunbiz similarly said police identified A through an investigation that compared the manipulated photo with security camera footage around O-World and then reviewed AI program usage records and upload histories before arresting A.

In addition to the admission, Chosunbiz quoted police emphasizing that "Spreading false information is not a simple prank but a serious crime that robs authorities of the crucial moment to protect public safety," and said police would "track illegal acts to the end and investigate strictly."

The sources describe how the AI image was treated as a real sighting and how that affected where authorities searched, where they moved their command center, and how long the operation lasted.

CNA said the city government and major media outlets shared an image that had spread widely online purporting to show a light-brown wolf trotting through an intersection after its escape, and it said subsequent analysis showed the image was fake.

The Sun

CNA also said authorities deployed drones and thermal cameras to track down the 30kg runaway, who kept slipping through the net despite several sightings, and it reported that Neukgu was finally recaptured on Apr 17 after authorities received a tip about a sighting in a park.

Chosun-language reporting said authorities, who had focused their search on nearby mountains, urgently expanded the search area to Sajeong-dong, Jung-gu, based on the photo, and it said the command center was relocated from O-World to a nearby elementary school.

Chosunbiz reported the same emergency-text and briefing use, saying the manipulated photo was used as is during the city's briefing on the capture situation and in the fire authorities' official announcement.

It added that even after it was revealed that the photo was manipulated, a string of mistaken reports followed, prompting criticism that the fire authorities, floundering, missed the prime window for the search and exhausted their firefighting resources.

BBC described the immediate operational effect more generally, saying the fake photo circulated hours after Neukgu went missing on 8 April and prompted authorities to urgently relocate their search operation, sending them on a wild wolf chase.

The case unfolded against a backdrop of nationwide attention on Neukgu, and the arrest now places legal consequences on the person police say disrupted official work by deception.

“EnglishNational Suspect Arrested for Obstructing Search with Fake AI Wolf Photos Man in his 40s admitted creating manipulated images 'for fun,' disrupting efforts and wasting resources By Woo Jeong-shik Published 2026”

조선일보

BBC said the hunt for two-year-old Neukgu gripped the nation and even prompted South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung to publicly pray for the wolf's safe return, while also reporting that a local bakery started selling a pastry featuring the wolf's face and that the city was reportedly considering naming him as an official local mascot.

조선일보

CNA said Neukgu’s escape prompted a local elementary school to close over safety concerns and that the local government sent hundreds of firefighters, police officers and troops in a bid to get him back.

The BBC also reported that authorities were investigating the suspect for disrupting government work by deception, an offence that carries up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million Korean won ($6,700; £5,000).

Chosunbiz quoted police warning that spreading false information is not a simple prank but a serious crime that robs authorities of the crucial moment to protect public safety, and it said police would "track illegal acts to the end and investigate strictly."

Chosun-language reporting similarly said police emphasized that "Spreading false information is a serious crime that jeopardizes public safety by wasting critical response time. We will rigorously investigate and hold accountable those involved in illegal activities."

With the wolf recaptured and the suspect arrested, the sources frame the next phase as an investigation into the deception charge and the disruption it caused to public safety operations.